All news

Iran optimistic about boost in trade with Russia

TEHRAN, September 08. /ITAR-TASS/. An intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation between Iran and Russia opened on Monday in Tehran with Iran seeing brighter prospects for bilateral trade.

The deputy chairman of the Iranian side, Ali Majedi, said there were all grounds to see bilateral trade growing five or six times.

“We signed a protocol on mutual understanding with Russia, which opens new opportunities for joint activity of state companies and the private sector of the two countries,” Ali Majedi, who is Deputy Minister of Petroleum, told ITAR-TASS. “Under this document, Russian companies of both types can participate in projects in Iran,” he said, noting also problems that had to be solved without delay.

The deputy co-chairperson of the Russian side of the Commission, Nailya Chernikova from the Russian Ministry for Economic Development, said such sessions of Russian and Iranian business people should be held twice or even three times a year.

“I am pinning the main hopes in the expansion of business ties on Russian and Iranian private business. If their representatives get interested in this, officials will have to catch up,” she said.

Chernikova said a business forum to be held within the framework of the commission would show the extent to which the sides had found areas of common interest.

On Monday, Russian and Iranian experts work in six commissions, discussing transport, energy, industrial, economic and border cooperation, as well as finance, banking and investment issues.

Russian Energy Minister Alexaner Novak and Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh are expected to take part in a commission’s session on Tuesday.